A/N: I'm back at last! After a few weeks of some stress, I've decided to vent by writing more fic. So, here is the culmination of a spark of inspiration one late spring break night. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own ABC's Once Upon a Time.
The Key to the Curse, Part I
The curse was breaking. He could feel it; the Queen's magic was disintegrating with every passing wind. Though he had no idea why, he embraced the feeling—he didn't understand it, however, and that's what plagued his mind as he wandered the streets of Storybrooke.
He's always known that the curse had an expiration date—when he gave it to the Evil Queen, he hadn't bothered with such, ah…minor details. After all, she hadn't brought up when she had come to him, begging for the curse in the first place. She hadn't asked anything, the senseless woman. All magic comes with a price, as he'd always said.
But Emma…Emma was the key to speed up the process. He didn't know how or when, but she was supposed to find a way to release them, and vanquish Regina along the way. He'd be satisfied when she was finally dead. Hell, he'd be ecstatic. That way, he wouldn't have to keep up with her constant deals, her teasing and prodding, her seemingly endless stream of devastating news—
He shook his head, getting rid of the thought immediately. He would not go there. Instead, he focused on his steady pace as he walked towards Granny's Diner for lunch, his cane clicking with every other step.
The bell chimed as he walked in and seated himself in his usual booth. The waitress, Ruby, waltzed over, dressed in her typical scanty outfit, to take his order.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Gold," she said, pulling out her pad of paper. "What can I get for you today?"
"I'll take the steak, please," he responded without a glance down at his menu. Ruby nodded and made her way back to the kitchens.
Finally, with hardly anyone else around, he allowed himself a sigh and reclined back in the cushioned booth seat. It would've been inappropriate to fall asleep in public, but he closed his eyes anyway and let his mind wander. Back to simpler, happier times…times of soft laughter, spinning wheels, and chipped cups….
"Here you are, Mr. Gold," Ruby's voice wandered through his thoughts. He opened them and focused on the plate that she presented to him.
"Thank you, dearie," he said, leaving barely a hint of a smile. She was about to nod again when the sheriff's car suddenly came whizzing by at full speed, sirens and lights blaring as it raced down the main road.
"What the hell?" Ruby said, astounded.
Gold abruptly stood up, an odd feeling in his body. It was time. It was happening; he could feel it, sense it in every fiber of his being.
"It seems I'm needed elsewhere," he said quietly. He placed a few bills down on the table, leaving a very confused Ruby standing by his previously occupied seat.
He limped down the street as fast as he could, following the sounds of the screaming sirens. Already he was beginning to feel stronger; his leg didn't hurt as much, and—dare he think it?—the sparks of long-unused magic began to make itself known in the tips of his fingers. Yes, oh, yes, it was happening, at long last!
Sheriff Swan's vehicle was parked haphazardly in front of Storybrooke's hospital, the still-flashing lights attracting several passing bystanders.
The hospital? he wondered, stopping several yards away from the entrance. What on earth does the savior need in the hospital? He noticed young Henry near the front doors, no doubt keeping a watchful eye out for his adopted mother—who, fortunately, wasn't in sight yet.
The wind began to pick up, and Mr. Gold felt that small flame of magic inside his chest jump a little higher. It wouldn't be long now. Already he could see wisps of dark magic leaking from the invisible seams that held the town bound to the curse.
People suddenly poured out from the hospital's entry way, shouting and trying to push someone back in—most likely the Queen's last line of defense, he mused. He could see Emma's blonde head from somewhere in the crowded thicket, pushing her way out, one arm wrapped securely around another person.
"You bitch!" The Queen's voice, filled with unbridled fury, echoed down the street, causing heads to turn. She was practically running to the hospital, her four-inch stiletto heels obviously not bothering her.
"August!" Emma shouted above the loud hum of the restless crowd. The man in question was trailing Regina closely, and upon Emma's command, restrained her (with some difficulty) so as to provide Emma safe passage with her companion. Oh, this was delicious, he decided, already feeling more in control than before.
"NO!" Regina screamed, pulling as hard as she could to get out of her captive's grasp. "You can't do this to me!" Her wild gaze whipped around to meet Gold's face, and her eyes, if possible, grew wider and more desperate than ever before. He was slightly confused, but her expression brought out the smallest of smug grins on his face.
"You liar!" the Queen spat angrily at him. His grin only expanded.
Emma was almost to the car now. Regina struggled harder than ever, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the young woman walking beside Emma. Gold peered at her with some curiosity, and at the same time felt a surge of magic from within. Ah, so Emma had discovered the solution at last: in the form of a strange woman with dark-brown curls—
Blue eyes pierced into his.
His heart skipped several beats, the air left his lungs. The world suddenly turned upside down, melting, dissolving, disappearing; passerby and townsfolk became little blurs to him. He heard Regina's agonizing cry of pain from somewhere behind him, but his mind chose to ignore it. His body was shaking violently, his vision becoming cloudy.
Blue eyes. Dark hair.
They held each other's gazes as Storybrooke continued to vanish in slow motion around them.
"Belle," he whispered.
A spark. A spark in her brilliant blue eyes.
Then everything went black.
To be continued...
